Chronology:
1559
5 July Philip II leaves the Netherlands; Margaret of Parma appointed
Governess General.
1562
Easter First public Reformed Protestant Sermon in Flanders. Formation
of the noble 'League of the Great' under the leadership of William of
Orange and Egmont, which heads the opposition against Granvelle.
1564
Withdrawal of Granvelle.
1566
April Presentation of 'Request' by noblemen (bound together by the Oath
of the Nobles) to Governess-General; called themselves 'the Beggars'
('Geuzen'), the derogative term used of them by a minister. August-October
Iconoclastic Fury
1567
Arrival of the Duke of Alva in the Netherlands, who is appointed
Governor-General in December. William of Orange in exile. 1568 5 June
Execution of Egmont and Hoorne in Brussels. Summer First military campaign
of William of Orange.
1572
1 April Sea Beggars capture Den Briel in Holland. Summer Second military
campaign of William of Orange. July William of Orange acclaimed Stadholder
by the States of Holland. 23 August Saint Bartholomew's Eve Massacre
in France (brings to an end French support for Orange).
1573
12 July Fall of Haarlem. 21 August-8 October Siege of Alkmaar. 29
November Alava replaced by Don Luis de Requesens. 1574 3 October By
flooding surrounding lands, the besieged town of Leiden is relieved.
1575
March-April Peace negotations at Breda. 1576 5 March Death of Requesens.
November 'Spanish Fury' at Antwerp; Pacification of Ghent. Philip II
appoints Don Juan of Austria Governor-General.
1577
23 September Triumphant arrival of Orange in Brussels; States-General
starts taking over the government of the Netherlands.
1578
Calvanist coups in most Flemish and Brabantine towns; death of Don
Juan; Alexander Farnese of Parma becomes Governor-General.
1579
6 January (Catholic) Union of Arras between Artois and Hainaut.
23 January Union of Utrecht. May-December Peace negotations at Cologne.
1580
15 March Philip II declared Orange an outlaw. 19 September Treaty
between the Duke of Anjou and the States-General.
1581
23 January Anjou recognized as 'prince and lord of the Netherlands'.
26 July With the Act of Abjuration the States-General formally renounce
Philip II.
1583
17 January 'French Fury' marks failure of the Anjou government.
1584
10 July Assassination of William of Orange at Delft. Farnese reconquers
Ypres (Ieper), Bruges and Ghent.
1585
Fall of Brussels. 17 August Fall of Antwerp. 20 August Treaty of Nonesuch
between England and the United Provinces.
1586
4 February ##Earl of Leicester appointed Governor and Captain General.
1587 December Departure of Leicester.
1588
Summer Defeat of the ##Spanish Armada.
1590
March Beginning of Dutch reconquest campaign.
1592
Death of Farnese.
1594
Dutch reconquest of Groningen.
1598
Philip II cedes the Spanish Netherlands to his daughter Isabella and
his son-in-law Albrecht of Austria.
1609
9 April Twelve Years' Truce.
1621
Resumption of the war; Spanish Netherlands formally reintegrated into
Spanish empire.
1629-32
Dutch reconquest of 's-Hertogenbosch and Maastricht by Frederik Hendrik,
Maurits' successor.
1647
Frederik Hendrik is succeeded by William II.
1648
Peace of MYŽnster between Spain and the Dutch Republic.